Sunagakure's Elite Team 2
by NaruIno367
Summary: Naruto is sent to live in Suna by request of Minato. He's placed on Team 2 alongside Gaara and Matsuri, lead by Mikan Tofune. Naruto x Matsuri, slight Lee x Sakura in later chapters. Rated T for Tayuya during Chunin Exams.
1. Chapter 1 Team 2

Well, I didn't see many Naruto x Matsuri fictions out there, so I figured I'd contribute a bit with the rather odd pairing.

Kurama's Attack – Konoha

Ituki Higurashi stood in the mess of broken trees and trampled rocks made by Kurama, the nine-tailed fox. The monstrosity had been sealed into the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki: Naruto Namikaze. Prior to the attack, Minato had paid a visit to Ituki, expressing his will to have her be his caretaker if something happened during his birth.

*Flashback*

_Ituki Higurashi's Apartment – Suna_

_Ituki sat cross-legged in front of the mound of paperwork she needed to file. She lost a bet with the Kazekage, and had to do all of his paperwork for three months. It was only now that she realized how stupid she was to have made such a wager._

_A knock on the door came as a relief to Ituki, for it saved her the trouble of going through the paperwork for a while. When she opened the door, she was nothing shy of surprised to see Minato Namikaze in the doorway, a serious look on his face._

"_Minato-sama, what are you doing here? I thought the Hokage had to stay in Konoha," Ituki said, raising an eyebrow._

"_Clones are rather efficient in sneaking out, I've learned. Could I speak to you for a moment, Ituki-san?" Minato replied, dead serious._

_Ituki had seen that look on his face before. He was in deep thought about something big. "Of course, come in."_

"_Thank you," Minato said, walking into Ituki's apartment._

_Ituki closed the door behind him and walked in front of Minato._

"_What's so important that you're not only coming to see me, but you've left your post in Konoha, and you're wearing that look on your face?"_

"_It's about Kushina. Actually, it's more about Naruto and the nine-tails than anything."_

_Ituki's eyes widened. "Kushina is set to give birth soon, right? Are there complications with her Jinchuuriki status or something?"_

"_None detectable, but there's a chance something will arise during birth."_

"_Do you think the seal will break?" Ituki said, becoming nearly as serious as Minato._

"_I wouldn't say I think it'll break, but something like 'there's a possibility it'll break'. Childbirth is the single time that the seal is weakest, you know."_

_The platinum blonde leaned back against her desk and let out a sigh. "Tell me all about it."_

"_Of course," Minato replied, briefly closing his eyes. "We fear that when Kushina goes into labor, the seal is going to break and let that fox out. In this scenario, I'd have to seal it inside my son, Naruto. This is where you'll come in, Ituki-san. In the case that the fox does get out, I'll need you to take Naruto in."_

_Ituki's eyes widened. She knew he would use Shiki Fujin. "Why me and not someone like Hiruzen-sama or Kakashi-senpai? Wouldn't you want Naruto to be brought up in Konoha rather than Suna? He'd probably be revered as a hero over there."_

"_That's where you're wrong. It's well-known that Jinchuuriki aren't always treated the best. In fact, most of the time they're treated like scum. I believe that if Naruto were to be taken to Suna, he would be treated far better than in Konoha. Just so long as you and him are the only ones to know of his Jinchuuriki status, I'm sure he would be better off over here."_

"_Why would Naruto be treated in such a manner? He should be idolized as the one who saved the village by becoming that demon's container rather than be scorned."_

"_It's because they fear the seal will break. They believe a second demonic attack to be eminent," Minato explained, sadness in his eyes. "Of course, I don't feel the same way, but others not so much."_

_Ituki sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. "How long until Kushina's due?"_

"_A week at most," Minato replied._

"_I'll be there in two days."_

_Minato's face lit up. It wasn't every day you convinced Ituki Higurashi, an elite Jonin of Suna only inferior to the Kazekage, to do you a huge, life-changing favor. "Thank you so much, Ituki-san."_

"_Yeah, yeah, just get back to your post before they realize you made a clone."_

"_I think they already have," Minato said, laughing nervously as he left the apartment._

_Ituki plopped to the floor. It looks like she'd get a break from the paperwork._

_*End Flashback*_

Normally, Ituki would've refused the offer, but something inside her told her to take Minato's son into her custody.

_Somehow, I knew this would happen_, Ituki said, scanning the premises for anything out of the ordinary.

She only see rubble, blood, various body parts, broken trees and splinters, crushed rocks, and demolished houses in Kurama's wake. _Definitely nothing out of the ordinary here._

She continued to walk over the giant splinters, careful not to have one lodge itself in her tender feet. Kurama had been sealed into Naruto ten minutes ago, and Hiruzen Sarutobi still had yet to bring Naruto to her location. At this point, she was beginning to wonder if she'd ever even get to see him.

"Miss Higurashi!" a gravelly and hoarse voice behind her said.

Turning around, she saw the sandaime walking toward her, a beige blanket in his hand.

"Speak of the devil. Do you have him?" Ituki said, slightly annoyed.

"Of course I do. Take a look for yourself," Hiruzen said, turning the bundle toward her just enough so she could see inside.

She gasped at the sight. The baby was simply beautiful. He looked just like Minato minus the blonde hair. "That's Naruto-chan, isn't it?"

"The one and only. From now on, he's yours. Please give him a better life than he'd have had over here, Miss Higurashi."

Hiruzen carefully handed Naruto over to Ituki, slight sadness detectable in his aged features.

Ituki took a firm yet comfortably soft grip on the baby, giggling when he held on to her white vest like a lifeline.

"You must hurry back to Suna, Miss Higurashi. Remember, no mention of his status as a Jinchuuriki to anyone but Naruto himself."

"I know that, Hiruzen-sama. I'll tell Naruto once he enters the academy and can handle the truth," Ituki said, looking down at the redhead in her arms.

Taking a bow, she left in a swirl of sand, taking the infant Naruto with her.

Academy – Suna

A ten-year-old Naruto sat in his place between Temari Sabakuno and Matsuri Yamamoto, completely and utterly bored. Everything that was being said to him he already knew thanks to his mother, Ituki.

A special exam was to be held to sort out the over-achievers from the under-achievers. Two students would spar in front of the teacher, demonstrating what they've learned over the years. It wasn't a matter of who won; it was more of a test of who did better.

Since Naruto slept through all of his lessons, he was never asked to answer a question before; so naturally, his teacher had no idea how intelligent he was.

Suddenly, a chalkboard eraser hit him in the head, leaving white powder in his shoulder-length red hair. Naruto looked up to see Nuri Tamura, his teacher, glaring at him.

"I'll let you sleep some more if you answer a question for once," Nuri said, still glaring at him.

"Alright, Nuri-sensei. What kind of lame question do I have to answer?" Naruto said, eyes half-lidded.

Nuri smirked. "What are three ways to break a Genjutsu?"

Naruto yawned. "One: Genjutsu Dissipation. In Genjutsu Dissipation, the victim stops the flow of his or her chakra, and applies a stronger power to disrupt the flow of the user's chakra. This can also be performed by a comrade fueling the victim with their own chakra. Two: Jinchuuriki Dissipation. This type of Genjutsu release requires the victim to be a Jinchuuriki, and have a reliable tailed beast by their side. The name pretty much speaks for itself, because Jinchuuriki Dissipation occurs when a tailed beast frees their container from the Genjutsu. Three: Pain Dissipation. Intense pain not caused by the Genjutsu frees the victim from the illusion. This way is the easiest and possibly the fastest of the other ways. Can I go back to sleep now?"

Nuri's jaw nearly fell off when he heard the detailed description of the Genjutsu release methods.

Next to Naruto, Matsuri began cheering. "Way to go, Naruto-kun! You're the smartest person in the world! Yes!"

"Pfft, showoff…" Temari said, scowling.

"Y-yes Naruto, you may go back to sleep now," Nuri said, turning to write on the board.

As soon as Naruto's head hit the desk, he was fast asleep again. Nuri merely sighed.

"Why are the smart ones always the laziest ones?" he said, thinking about his visit to Konoha when he'd met Shikamaru Nara.

Two hours later, Matsuri woke Naruto up by shaking him by the shoulders. "Naruto-kun, wake up! It's your turn to fight!"

Naruto sat up and looked at her. "Is it morning already?"

"No, silly! It's time for the special exam! Nuri-sensei called your name, so go up to the front and teach that other boy who's boss!"

Naruto sighed. He was just getting into an awesome dream, too. He lethargically walked up to the front to fight a tall boy with short black hair and yellow eyes.

"It's about time, shrimp," he said, making a face at Naruto.

Instantly, Naruto was wide awake. It was known throughout Suna that _no one _called Naruto Namikaze 'shrimp' and got away with it without a few dozen broken bones and at least one black eye.

"Now now, Kaguro-san, there's no need to be that way," Nuri said, placing an arm in front of the black-haired boy.

Out of the blue, Naruto started laughing. All eyes locked on him immediately.

"That's alright. Let him learn from his mistakes, Nuri-sensei. Besides, I have a bet for him."

Kaguro grimaced. "What do you bet, squirt?"

"I bet I can win without drawing my weapon," Naruto said, pointing to the tiny twin fans at his side, suspended by a single golden string.

"Hah! You're on, shrimp."

Nuri sighed. "Kaguro Hoshina, are you ready?"

"More than ready."

"Naruto Namikaze, are _you _ready?"

"Do I have to answer, Nuri-sensei?" he replied.

"Then…begin!" Nuri strode off to the right to ensure his safety. He knew how passionate Naruto could get during a spar match.

Kaguro took the first step. He lurched toward Naruto, intent on punching him in the face. However, rather than feeling his fist meet soft skin, he felt hard bone, as Naruto had stuck out his own fist to counteract Kaguro's attack. He yelped in pain and staggered backward, holding his injured hand.

"Ready to forfeit yet, Kaguro-kun?" Naruto said provocatively.

"Not on your life, Namikaze!" Kaguro said, lunging toward Naruto, once again intent on punching him. This time, however, Naruto moved Kaguro's fist with the outermost part of his lower arm and kicked him in the side, sending him cascading to the right. He hit the ground with a thud that made everyone but Matsuri shudder.

"Hooray for Naruto-kun, the most powerful, awesome fighter in all of Suna!" she cheered.

"Dear Kami, do you ever shut up?" Temari covered her ears and continued to watch the fight with concealed interest.

"Face it Kaguro-kun, you're all talk and no walk," Naruto said smugly. "You can't even beat me without my fans. You're pitiful."

Hearing this infuriated Kaguro, and he ran toward Naruto in a fit of rage. "I'll never lose to the likes of you!"

His attempt to kick Naruto was in vain, as he no sooner and got close to Naruto and the redhead roundhouse kicked him away again.

"Why you…" Kaguro was going to attempt to attack him again, but he was stopped by Nuri's arm once again.

"I think this match is over. I declare the winner to be Naruto Namikaze!"

The class erupted in cheers, the loudest being from Matsuri. Naruto blushed at the praise.

Kaguro punched the ground. He would definitely get him back…

Shortly after the matches were completed, Nuri pinned a piece of paper to the chalkboard:

Surprise Genin Examinations

Temari vs. Fuyuki winner: Temari

Kabuki vs. Natsuhi winner: Natsuhi

Kaguro vs. Naruto winner: Naruto

Matsuri vs. Satsuki winner: Matsuri

Gaara vs. Kai winner: Gaara

Mion vs. Kankuro winner: Kankuro

New Genin

Temari

Matsuri

Naruto

Gaara

Kankuro

Kabuki

The students who passed started to cheer loudly while the ones who didn't sank into their chairs sulking.

Matsuri latched herself onto Naruto's arm. "We did it, Naruto-kun! We're Genin!"

Naruto chuckled. "Someone's happy. Maybe we'll be on the same team, right Matsuri-chan?"

"I hope so!"

Nuri slapped a ruler on his desk. "Alright, calm down. It's time to put you onto teams. Now then, Team 2 will consist of: Gaara Sabakuno…"

Gaara's ears perked up when he heard his name.

"…Naruto Namikaze…" Nuri continued.

Both Naruto and Gaara stood up and cheered.

"…and Matsuri Yamamoto," he finished.

Matsuri stood up and started jumping around talking about how she got to spend time with her Naruto-kun.

Gaara walked over to Naruto and gave him a high-five.

"Good to know I'm on a team with reliable teammates," he said, smiling lightly.

"It is, isn't?" Naruto replied.

Matsuri jumped on Naruto's back. "We're on the same team, Naruto-kun! It's a dream come true!"

Nuri coughed, signaling the students to get back in their seats. They complied with no argument.

"Team 2's Jonin sensei will be Mikan Tofune. Your personal training ground will be ground number twelve. You may head out now."

Naruto and Gaara walked out the door calmly while Matsuri literally danced out the door.

Training Ground 12 – Suna

When Team 2 finally arrived at the grounds, they were in the presence of a rather attractive young woman with dark purple hair and hypnotic orange eyes. When they caught her eye, her face lit up.

"I take it you guys are my new team, right?" she said, a devious smirk that would rival Anko's on her face.

"If your name is Mikan Tofune, then yes," Gaara stated calmly.

Mikan laughed. "Well then, it's nice to meet you guys. Let's start with introductions, shall we?"

"You go first, Mikan-sensei," Matsuri said, bowing politely.

Mikan's eyes widened. "Wow, already calling me Mikan-sensei? I really like you a lot, kid," she said, ruffling Matsuri's short brown hair.

"Well, my name is Mikan Tofune. I like spicy food and Miss Matsuri over there," she said, motioning to her only female student. She giggled. "I dislike sweets and people who judge others by looks. My dream is to take the Kazekage's place in office. Let's see… how about the cutie on the left. Why don't you tell us a few things about yourself?" Mikan made it clear to point at Naruto, making him blush.

"My name's Naruto Namikaze. I like Matsuri-chan and people who're kind to others. I dislike ignorance and people who call me short. My dream is to take the Kazekage's place, so you're my rival now, Mikan-sensei!" Naruto said, pointing a finger at his sensei.

"Aha, I really like you too, kid! I'm definitely going to take the place of Kazekage before you, though."

"There's no way I'm going to let that happen."

Mikan smiled. She knew she was going to like this team. "Alright, how about the other redhead over there?"

"My name is Gaara Sabakuno. I like people who care about others more than they do themselves, whereas I dislike those who are prejudiced. My only dream is to become stronger so I can protect those around me," Gaara stated calmly.

Mikan's eyes widened. _It's any Jonin's dream team… and it's mine! _"I'm really starting to like thisteam! It's hard to find someone with such a humble dream, Gaara-kun. Keep it up!"

Gaara nodded, but on the inside he was partying for making his sensei proud of him.

"Now then, it's Matsuri-chan's turn to tell us about herself. Go ahead, hun."

"Well, I'm Matsuri Yamamoto. I like Naruto-kun and my Johyo. I don't like people who use weapons to hurt the innocent without reason. My dream is…" Matsuri trailed off and started blushing.

_Looks like I've got a couple of lovebirds here. _"Hah, well done, Matsuri-chan. Now, what do you guys say to starting our Genin exams early?"

Gaara's eyes widened. "I thought we were already Genin."

"Not exactly. You see, in order to become Genin, you have to have a Jonin sensei. In order to impress a Jonin sensei, you have to pass a test. If you pass, you get on the team and become true Genin. Any questions?" Mikan explained.

"What's your test, Mikan-sensei?" Matsuri said, raising her hand.

Mikan gave a toothy grin to her favorite pupil. "I want you guys to knock me out without causing any permanent damage to me-or yourselves, for that matter."

"That'll be easy. Leave it to me: The future fifth Kazekage!" Naruto said, springing out of his seat.

"That's the spirit! Motivation is the key… remember that."

The Genin in Team 2 all nodded, heeding Mikan's words. "When I say 'go', the exam will start and you will begin your attempt to knock me out cold. Ready…"

Matsuri gave a short wink to Naruto, causing him to blush. Everyone got in position to hide.

"…go!" Mikan said after a short pause for drama.

The three Genin shot off into the bushes, leaving only a trail of dust behind them. _I like your spunk, but do you have what it takes to be taught by the Table Orange?_

Matsuri lie on her stomach, crouched underneath a bush to conceal herself. She couldn't help but find it odd that Mikan had stayed in the same spot rather than move like the rest of the team.

Before she shot off into the bushes, she had seen her sensei form a few hand seals. She couldn't help but wonder what sort of Jutsu was cast. On top of that, Mikan's chakra didn't feel normal.

_Mikan-sensei, what are you planning?_

Gaara sat atop a tree to get an aerial view of the training grounds. He scanned the area for any suspicious movement that could belong to Mikan.

Being fairly proficient in chakra control, manipulation, and sensation, he could tell right away that the Mikan in the middle of the field, seemingly open to attack, wasn't the real one.

_Where could Mikan-sensei be hiding?_

Naruto formed an air bubble around himself and had hidden in the water near the grounds. He could sense two chakra signatures nearby: one in the field and one in a tree underneath Gaara's spying post.

The field Mikan's chakra seemed off from when he'd first saw her, so he was suspicious of her. The Mikan in the tree's chakra couldn't be sensed as well because of her distance from him, but it felt normal compared to the other.

_Which one is the real Mikan-sensei?_

Mikan perched herself in a tree underneath Gaara. She had used a mud clone to make it seem as if she had stayed in the field to await attack from her Genin squad. From her spot in the tree, she could see Naruto studying the mud clone, Matsuri in deep thought, and Gaara surveying the area. She was quite proud of what she had seen so far from Team 2.

_This could be it_, she thought.

Movement to the left caught her attention. She turned her head to see Matsuri crawling over to Naruto's position in the water. Looking up, she could see Gaara jumping from tree to tree in the same direction as Matsuri.

_Oh-ho, what have we here? Are we starting to get the hang of this already?_

"Hey, Naruto-kun?" Matsuri whispered, crawling over to Naruto.

Naruto turned his head in surprise. "Oh, hey Matsuri-chan. Did you figure it out as well?"

"If by 'it' you mean the objective of the exam, then yes, I did. In order to complete the exam, we have to work together and not act out of instinct or the need to show off and be independent," she responded, smiling brightly.

"I guess that makes three of us," Gaara whispered, crouching under a tree. "What's the plan?"

"Does this make me the team leader or something?"

Matsuri giggled. "You're the smartest and probably the strongest in our group. That much is obvious. Judging by your intelligence, you'd make a good strategist, too. Naturally, we'd establish you as the leadership of the group."

Gaara nodded in agreement to his teammate.

Naruto smiled. "Well, I've got something."

His other teammates dove into the air bubble when Naruto expanded it, and they began to sink into the water.

"So what do you have?" Matsuri asked, admiring the odd air bubble they were huddled in.

"Well, it's pretty simple. We need to catch her off guard. Gaara, could you compress your chakra enough to prevent Mikan-sensei from sensing it?"

Gaara smirked. "Don't insult me, Naruto. Of course I can."

"Great! I want you to keep Mikan-sensei's attention. Got that?"

Gaara saluted Naruto, but couldn't refrain from giggling. "Roger, Naruto-taicho."

Nodding, Naruto turned to Matsuri. "Matsuri-chan, I need you to place Mikan-sensei in a Genjutsu. Could you do that for me?"

Matsuri blushed and nodded. "Of course, Naruto-kun. Do you want her in any specific Genjutsu?"

Naruto looked up in thought. "How about that new butterfly Jutsu you've been formulating? I know it's still in-progress, but it'll work."

Matsuri nodded once more. "What about you? What'll you do?"

"I'll do the best part: knock her out. I'll just wing it, alright?"

"This won't take long," Gaara said, grinning.

"Come on, get in position," Naruto said, bringing the air bubble to the surface. Once everyone was out of the water, Naruto dispelled the Jutsu.

All three Genin raced to their positions, awaiting their turn to perform.

It had been thirty minutes already, and Mikan was starting to wonder what her team was up to. It was clear they weren't falling for her mud clone, so she dispelled it.

"Hey, Mikan-sensei!" Gaara said, standing on the branch above her.

Startled, Mikan looked up at the redhead. "Oh, it's you, Gaara. How did you know where I was?"

Gaara pointed at himself with his thumb. "I'm the best with chakra in my whole class. I could sense that clone wasn't the real you. I could also sense the real you over here, which happened to be close to where I was if I remember correctly."

"And how did you sneak up on me like that?"

"I masked my chakra so even you couldn't sense it," Gaara stated. "Pretty cool, right?"

Mikan sighed. She was fooled by a Genin; her own student, even.

"Well, what do you plan on doing now? You've got me, so what's your second plan?" Mikan said, raising an eyebrow.

Gaara smirked. "I was waiting for you to say that. I'll just say one thing: butterfly."

Before Mikan could react, an uncountable amount of butterflies started to collect around her. There were so many that she could hardly make out her surroundings, and couldn't sense Gaara anymore.

Suddenly, Matsuri appeared before her in a flower-style Body Flicker. "Hello again, Mikan-sensei!" she said, smiling sweetly and waving amiably.

"M-Matsuri-chan? What's going on here?" she responded, getting worried about the butterflies. Before she could finish her sentence, Matsuri was gone in another flower Body Flicker.

Matsuri re-appeared in front of Mikan, slapping an exploding tag on her face and bolting away. Suddenly, the butterflies turned into exploding tags. Matsuri held her hands together in a familiar hand seal.

"Detonate!"

The exploding tag on Mikan's face exploded, causing a chain reaction of explosions as all the other paper bombs blew up.

When the smoke had cleared, Matsuri perched gracefully onto the branch. "Demonic Illusion: Butterfly Evolution."

Naruto, seeing Mikan thrown into the air by Matsuri's Jutsu, took to the skies, jumping off a relatively tall tree.

"We pass, Mikan-sensei!" he shouted.

He leapt above her and propelled wind against him, sending him toward her in the ultimate wind-style drop-kick.

When Mikan landed on the ground, she left cracks in the earth for about five meters. Naruto, Matsuri, and Gaara landed beside her.

Matsuri was the first to walk toward her. "You awake, Mikan-sensei?"

When she got no response she began to cheer. "We did it! We passed! Hooray!" Matsuri cheered, once again leaping onto Naruto's back.

"Aha, I'm glad we passed. Gaara, would you do the honors?"

Gaara stepped forward and hit a few pressure points on Mikan's torso. "Release."

Mikan sucked in a harsh amount of air and started into a coughing fit. Sitting up, she noticed her squad gathered around her.

"So… we're Genin?" Matsuri said, kicking the dirt nervously.

The violet gave her favorite pupil the 'that's a very dumb question' look. Matsuri instantly got the idea and started to celebrate again.

"Starting tomorrow, we'll be an official team. Meet me back here tomorrow at eight. I'll be sure to have a mission for you guys."

"Thanks, Mikan-sensei!"

"Yeah, you're the best!"

"This'll be interesting."

Mikan stood up and brushed herself off. This was bound to be an interesting team.

_Well, well, looks like the Table Orange has the dream team. I can't wait to brag to Baki…_

It was just too bad they couldn't sense the presence of a black-haired boy in the bushes, taking note of everything that took place.

**Well, what do you think? Please submit a review, I'll give you cookies!**

**Character descriptions:**

**Matsuri (Age 10 – 13)**

**Wears: Black halter with silver buttons, black shorts, black shoes that reach over her knees, high black fingerless gloves, visible mesh on all exposed parts of skin other than her head and neck, fingers, and toes. Black hitai-ate that is worn over a lock of hair that dangles over her face.**

**Appearance: Fair skin, shoulder-length brown hair with a lock of hair dangling over her face, and black eyes. **

**Stats: Ninjutsu: 2 Taijutsu: 2.5 Genjutsu: 5 Intelligence: 4.5 Strength: 1.5 Speed: 2.5 Stamina: 2 Hand Seals: 2 Total: 22**

**Naruto (Age 10 – 13)**

**Wears: Orange sleeveless shirt with a straight zipper, white shorts that reach his knees, white and orange arm warmers similar to Sasuke's with matching legwarmers, standard black shoes, a long dark red scarf. His hitai-ate is tied so it allows his bangs to hang over it.**

**Appearance: Tanned skin, whisker-like scars on his face, shoulder-length red hair kept in a messy ponytail with choppy bangs and two long messy locks framing his face, and blue eyes.**

**Stats: Ninjutsu: 2 Taijutsu: 3 Genjutsu: 1.5 Intelligence: 4.5 Strength: 3 Speed: 3 Stamina: 3.5 Hand Seals: 2 Total: 22.5**

**Gaara (Age 10 – 13)**

**Wears: Dark green short sleeved kimono top with matching pants, green geta-style shoes, visible mesh under his top, on his elbows, and on his ankles, gourd is held on with a loose white cloth. Black hitai-ate is worn around his neck.**

**Appearance: Pale skin, red hair pulled back into a short ponytail save for a single lock on the left side, pale green eyes, and black lines around his eyes caused by insomnia.**

**Stats: Ninjutsu: 5 Taijutsu: 1.5 Genjutsu: 2 Intelligence: 3.5 Strength: 1 Speed: 2.5 Stamina: 3 Hand Seals: 4** **Total: 22.5**

**What do you think of Naruto being a redhead? I've been thinking of it for a while, and I decided to make a swap: Kushina's face shape for red hair, Minato's hair for his face shape. Later on it'll get more into Ituki and Naruto's relationship, so look forward to it. I'm sorry if Matsuri is a bit of a fangirl in this, but she'll mature later on when they're doing missions. **

**For those who are wondering, Naruto befriended Gaara before he could become lonely, and thanks to him he has a better reputation around Suna. **

**Leave a review. It doesn't matter how short, you could even post "cool" and I'll appreciate it. I LOVE long reviews, so don't hesitate to make it wordy.**

**I'll update this alongside the Village Hidden in the Sakura Blossoms to be consistent.**

**Ciao! ~NaruIno367**

**P.S. It'll get more love-y with Naruto and Matsuri in later chapters, so look forward to that, too. **


	2. Chapter 2 Kaguro Hoshina

This chapter didn't come out as well as I'd liked it to, but it's alright nonetheless.

Chapter 2 – This chapter will get into more stuff about Kaguro and such. There might be a flashback in there, so look ahead.

I don't make ANY profit from this and I most certainly don't own anything other than this fic and my fanmade characters.

FINAL PAIRINGS

Suna: NaruMatsu, SeiTema, KaguTen, GaaNatsu, KankuMion

Konoha: LeeSaku, SasuKin, ChoIno, NejiHina, ShikaYuri, KonoMoegi

Hoshina Compound – Suna

Kaguro Hoshina continued to scribble down important facts about Team 2 in his light blue notebook:

Team 2 

Matsuri Yamamoto: Genjutsu mistress. She appears to have Taijutsu and Strength weaknesses. This can be used to my advantage later on. She looks smart but doesn't have too much stamina. If I fight her, I'll need to wear out her chakra before trying anything drastic.

Gaara Sabakuno: Regrettably, he's a master of chakra control. His hand seals are almost Jonin level. His Ninjutsu is off the charts for a Genin. His Taijutsu seems below standard, similar to Matsuri's. His strength is even lower than hers, strangely enough. Out of all three members of Team 2, he's got the lowest intelligence level, but that doesn't mean he's dumb. The gourd's contents are unknown to me. He'll be a tough one.

Naruto Namikaze: I would hate to go up against this guy again. Out of Team 2, he's probably the strongest. I haven't seen the extent of his abilities, but I'm sure he's very strong. He's got amazing stamina and above average speed. He'll be just as tough as Gaara, I'm sure of it.

Plan: Target Matsuri before anyone else. So far, nothing else is planned.

Kaguro sat back, admiring his notes. Ever since his fight with Naruto, he'd realized something: he wasn't strong enough.

_Ever since that redhead pretty-boy humiliated me in front of Temari-chan, I've wanted to get revenge on him. Temari-chan doesn't even notice me. If I beat the shrimp up, maybe she'll see me for the awesome fighter I really am_, Kaguro thought, punching a wooden dummy to boost his strength.

"If I don't put in some good training, I'll never get to that damn shrimp," he said, knocking the head off the training dummy.

The extensive training Kaguro had been going through left deep scars on both his arms, so he had to wrap them up to prevent them from re-opening. Currently, his fists were covered in bruises and cuts.

He sensed chakra behind him and instinctively threw a kunai in its direction. He turned around and was surprised to see Hiyori Hoshina, his mother.

Hiyori was known to be utterly ruthless on the battlefield. In fact, she was issued a flee-on-sight warrant when she was just thirteen years old. Strangely enough, no matter how much he begged her to be his sensei, she always refused. She never gave a reason, stating that she wasn't the one to ask.

"Your reflexes are top-notch for an academy student, but your senses, chakra control, speed, and strength are lacking severely," she bluntly stated, not showing any emotion. "At this rate, you'll become the embarrassment of Suna."

Kaguro let out a deep growl in an attempt to intimidate Hiyori, but it didn't work as she kept her poker face. "It wouldn't be this way if you'd just teach me."

"I can't do that."

"Why not? You're capable of it!"

"I have my reasons."

"That's not a legitimate answer!"

"You'll never get anywhere with an attitude like that," Hiyori said cracking her knuckles. "You truly are an embarrassment to both Suna and the Hoshina."

The raven walked away, leaving a fuming Kaguro.

_I'll show her and Suna what I can do… by the next Chunin Exam in Konoha, everyone will be at my beck and call. I'll obtain power… no matter how many sacrifices I have to make to get it._

Hoshina Compound [East Wing] – Suna

Seiji Hoshina wandered the halls of the Hoshina compound, unsure of whether to kill his little brother Kaguro the following morning or to simply drop the mission.

_A Shinobi must never show his weaknesses… emotion is the key to defeat._

Seiji, fifteen years old, was quite probably the strongest Jonin next to Mikan Tofune. Twelve days ago, Seiji was given a mission: destroy Kaguro Hoshina. He could remember the meeting with the Kazekage vividly…

(Flashback)

_Kazekage's Office – Suna_

"_Seiji-kun, do you know why you are here?" the Kazekage asked, not giving any signs of his emotion. _

"_I'm sorry, Kazekage-sama, but I don't," Seiji replied, bowing before the Kage._

_The Kazekage, Atsui Sabakuno, dug through his desk's drawers until he found a vanilla-colored file folder. Passing it to Seiji, he turned to look out the window, finding a small brown bird strangely interesting._

_Mission Concept: Hoshina Assassination_

_Target: Kaguro Hoshina_

_Mission: Terminate Hoshina on sight._

_Rank: A_

_Kaguro Hoshina is suspected of tyranny against Suna. He must be destroyed before he gets out of hand._

_Dropping the folder, Seiji clenched his fists. How could he kill his little brother? Sure he was slightly insane and had a bit of a superiority concept, but he was his brother nonetheless._

"_I can't do that. I won't kill my brother," he said through clenched teeth._

"_Luckily for you, we have a bit of a negotiation to settle."_

_Seiji looked at Atsui with wide eyes. He never negotiated. He gave orders. Strict orders. _

"_Where are you going with this, Kazekage-sama?"_

_Atsui sank into his chair, eyes downcast. "I may seem like a stone-cold ruler, but I have a soft side."_

_Seiji tilted his head, not quite understanding._

"_I sense your confusion. Allow me to explain. As you know, the Hoshina are infamous for their uncanny abilities and heartless actions. However, Kaguro appears to be on a vengeful and jealous edge. If he continues to be brought up the way he is, he would be ruthless by Hoshina standards." At this, Seiji's eyes widened. Hoshina standards were quite strict, and even Atsui had to admit it. "We have reason to believe he's plotting something, but we can't figure out what."_

"_What proof do you have he's planning anything?"_

_Atsui handed Seiji a notebook he recognized as his little brother's book. He wrote in it whenever he was troubled or had a secret to tell._

"_I can't look through this."_

"_You have no choice. It's an order, Seiji-kun."_

_Reluctantly, Seiji took the book and turned to the first page. It seemed quite normal, as it simply stated that he had started his first day at the academy and had spotted a beautiful young lady in his class. He couldn't help but smile._

"_It seems innocent at first. That is, until you get farther in. Turn to page five," the Kazekage commanded._

_Seiji complied and was shocked with what he saw._

_April 7__th_

_Today I approached Temari-chan with the purpose to finally speak with her. I was so happy… until that damn red sand shrimp pushed past me to talk with her. Who does he think he is, talking to Temari-chan like that? Can't he see that she's claimed? I swear, when I get my hands on him…_

_April 8__th___

_Once again, that red sand shrimp stole Temari-chan from me! I'm seriously considering a kunai to the throat with this one…_

_April 10__th_

_Couldn't write yesterday, I got into a fight with the sand shrimp and he broke my goddamn hand. I wonder if I'd be caught and tried for murder if he ended up dead._

"_These harsh things… came from my ototo? That's impossible! Kaguro would never speak like this!"_

"_Are you sure?" Atsui said, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands against his chest._

"_I'm positive! And who's this 'Red Sand Shrimp' recorded in the book?" Seiji asked, looking over the writing on the pages._

"_That'd be Naruto Namikaze."_

_Seiji's head shot up at the name. "Minato Namikaze-sama's cousin?"_

"_Not quite."_

"_What do you mean?"_

_Atsui sighed. He realized there was no way Seiji was dropping the topic of the Namikaze, so he had to tell him an S-Rank secret and hope he doesn't reveal it to anyone who might hone a grudge against Minato._

"_What I'm about to tell you is highly classified. It's an S-Rank secret only to be revealed to those of high ranking authority. Got it?" the Kazekage said, a completely serious look on his face._

"_Of course, Kazekage-sama. You have my word," Seiji said, bowing in respect._

"_Naruto-kun is not Minato-sama's cousin, but his son."_

_Seiji's eyes visibly widened. The son of the fourth Hokage was living in Suna? It didn't quite add up. "Why is he here, then? He should be in Konoha, where he belongs."_

"_You'll have to ask Miss Ituki Higurashi-san about that, I don't know anything about it. Now, if you don't mind, I have paperwork to attend to. You are dismissed."_

_Seiji took another bow and left without a word._

(End Flashback)

The raven stopped and looked at the wooden boards below his feet. He had to choose between a possible slaughter which would leave only Kaguro as a Hoshina and killing his ototo.

It wasn't an easy decision.

"Pathetic," a voice behind Seiji said.

Turning around, he saw Kaguro clad in a rather short grey kimono and wrappings on his arms and ankles, his naginata strapped to his back.

"What's pathetic, Kaguro?"

Kaguro studied his older brother with a scowl. He still wore the traditional outfit of the Hoshina: a blue off-the-shoulder shirt with only the left long sleeve with visible mesh underneath, black shorts with a white stripe on each side, black and blue legwarmers and silver armguards and shin guards. His long black hair reached the middle of his back when tied in a blue ponytail and had two long strands of hair framing his face.

The most remarkable trait about Seiji was his eyes. His right eye was purple whereas the left eye was yellow. It didn't matter who you were, Seiji Hoshina's eyes were intriguing.

Too intriguing, in fact.

Two years ago, ANBU from Konoha attacked the Hoshina compound in an attempt to kidnap Seiji and perform experimentations on him. When they were stopped dead in their tracks by Hiyori, they revealed that the Hokage had told them that Seiji's eyes had to be some sort of bloodline. Needless to say, Hiyori was infuriated and had killed them on the spot, not bothering to continue the interrogation.

Kaguro's scowl deepened.

_That Seiji... he always gets special treatment because he's the Hoshina heir. If mother were given the choice to save either me or him, she'd choose him with no regrets._

Kaguro smiled sickly, startling Seiji. "You are."

"What?"

"You heard me, pretty boy."

Kaguro stepped forward and pointed his hand in a pretend gun's position at his brother's face, prepared to use a Jutsu he'd been developing with the disinterested help of Hiyori.

"You're pathetic. Both you and that lousy Kazekage. You're both too ignorant to see what I am. You refuse to believe your ototo would willingly slaughter his entire clan. You're dead wrong… _nii-nii_."

Seiji only stared at Kaguro, which made him all the more infuriated. After a long staring contest, Kaguro leapt back about twenty feet and got into an offensive stance. "Fight me, now."

"Why should I bother?"

"I want to fight you. _Now_." Kaguro started raising his voice.

Seiji sighed and got into the Hoshina defensive stance. "Come at me when you're ready, ototo."

Kaguro smirked and began to perform a few hand seals. Seiji was confused, as he'd never seen his little brother do any hand seals.

"Water Style: Liquid Bullet!" Kaguro took a deep breath and exhaled, sending a raging bullet of water toward Seiji.

Startled, Seiji leapt out of the way only to find that the Jutsu was following him. Landing on the soft grass, he performed four hand seals in an attempt to block Kaguro's Jutsu. "Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

A wall of rock formed in front of Seiji, dispelling the water Jutsu. Seiji turned around, only to see that Kaguro wasn't visible. Panicking, he got into a stance that could be considered both offensive and defensive. _Where are you, little scamp…?_

"Up here!" Kaguro said. Seiji looked up to see him on the roof, standing on his naginata. "You're even more pathetic than I thought; you couldn't even sense my chakra signature!"

The older raven didn't move from his position, which angered the younger raven considerably. "Why you…"

Jumping down from the roof, Kaguro took a two-hand hold on his naginata. He pulled it back and struck the dirt below it, sending cracks toward Seiji. Kaguro dropped the weapon and performed a single hand seal and slapped the ground with his palm, filling the cracks with malignant water spikes.

"So troublesome…" Seiji said, waiting for the incoming attack.

When the water was a mere three feet away from him, he slammed a chakra-enhanced fist into the ground, creating a lightning storm overcoming the water. "Lightning Style: Guiding Flash Jutsu."

Kaguro had no time to react before the flash of lightning consumed him. After a very bright light show, Kaguro was unconscious with burns and abrasions all over his body.

Seiji didn't want to cause Kaguro harm, but this was the only way to calm him down. Maybe it would even motivate him to become stronger.

Sighing, he made his way to the Kazekage's tower. This would be a long story.

Ituki's Apartment – Suna

"Mo-mom! You're smothering me!" Naruto cried, muffled by his mother's sizeable bust.

"Oh, but I'm so _proud _of you, Naru-chan!" Ituki said, continuing to bear hug her son.

"It hurts, though!"

Ituki's dress choice hadn't changed since Minato had visited her a decade ago. She still wore a solid white vest with fur at the hem over a light purple shirt along with knee-length black shorts and knee-high ninja boots. A red sash was wrapped around her waist to conceal varying scrolls and such, and her black hitai-ate was wrapped around her neck. She still wore her platinum blonde hair in a low ponytail.

Hot pink eyes met deep blue ones when Ituki finally let go of her surrogate son.

"Who is your sensei? No, no! Let me guess!"

Naruto groaned.

"Is it Nikaido Kodo? No, he's a Taijutsu expert… Bakuri Yamato? Nope… he's not accepting a team… that leaves Kirari Murada and Mikan Tofune. Which is it, Naru-chan?"

"Mikan Tofune…"

"WOW! You have the Table Orange as your sensei? I'm even prouder of you now!" Ituki exclaimed, pulling Naruto into another bear hug.

Hoshina Compound—Suna

Kaguro slammed his fist against another window, allowing the glass shards to spill onto the floor. He had awoken to the sound of the Kazekage and Seiji talking about what to do about him. He thought his brother would be on his side, until he heard him suggest that he be banished from Suna. Since then, Kaguro had been breaking everything in sight.

He was about to break a piece of wood when he suddenly stopped, and realization struck him. His widened eyes soon morphed into a twisted smile.

"There's one way I can change their minds…"

Matsuri's House—Suna

Matsuri rubbed her sore shoulders with relief. She had been practicing her Taijutsu after Naruto, Gaara, and Mikan had all left in order to not be too much of a burden to the team.

She looked into the mirror and sighed. She remembered Naruto saying something about liking exotic hair colors such as purple and white. She hoped he didn't think any less of her because she had a simple hair color.

After taking a quick shower, Matsuri sat on her bed in a plain white yukata, studying the picture the photographer had taken after they'd passed their exam. Matsuri herself hung on Naruto's back, Gaara had looped his arm through Naruto's and held up the peace sign with his other arm, and Mikan stood in the back with her trademark grin on her face. Matsuri smiled at the picture and set it beside her bed, laying on her back in peaceful rest.

She shot up from her comfortable position when she heard a voice from the side of the room.

"Don't get too comfortable…" it said.

Matsuri cringed when a black figure strode close to her. Her eyes widened when she recognized its face.

"Ka-Kaguro…"

**Please review ;~; can't an aspiring teenager get some feedback?**

**Oh, yes… I'm still kicking. This chapter was a bit short, but we're getting into the first arc: The Legacy of the Hoshina, as I like to call it. As you all have guessed, Kaguro is a sort of equivalence to Sasuke. **

**Ciao! ~NaruIno367**


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